Car door



Sept. 7 1926. 1,598,846

A, H. BURKEMAN CAR DOOR Filed August 27, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 o u Sept.7 1926.

A, H. BURKEMAN CAR DOOR Filed August 27, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 *MINtherein; l

taken on the line 2-2 of Fig.V 1;

Patented Sept. "l, 1926.

PATENT OFFICE.

AXEL H. '.BURKEMAN, OIF H'INNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

cannoon.

I Application filed August 27, 1925. Serial No. 52,780.

My present invention relates to car doors and has for its object toimprove the same in the several particulars hereinafter noted. l To theabove` end, theinvention consists of the novel devices and combinationsof devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referringy to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation'of a box car having the inventionembodied Fig. 2 is azlt'ransverse .vertical section,

i Fig. 3 is a detailview in section, taken on the line 3,-3 of Fig. 1,on an enlarged scale; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view with someparts sectioned on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on-the line 5--5 ofFig. 1, onan enlarged scale;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary outside elevation of two of the door sections attheir adjacent edges;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail view in sec# tion, taken on the line 7-7of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale;

Figs. 8 and 9 are fragmentary perspective views of the vparts shown inFig. 7 separated; and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary detail view prin cipally in section, takensubstantially on the line 10-10 of Fig. 1, on an enlargedscale.'

The numeral 11 indicates the body of a box car and the numeral 12indicatesy one of the side door openings therein. y

The improved car door is mounted to close the door opening 12, and, asillustrated, comprises upper, lower and intermediate sections 13, 14 and15, respectively, and as shown each thereof is made up of sheet metalbut invsome instances part wood may be used. Said lower door section 15,at its lower horizontal edge, is slidablyjnounted..

on a Itrack 16 'secured to the car body 11 below the door opening 12 andextends to one side thereof. The upper door section 13 is slidablysuspended from an overhead track 17 by means of a pair of brackets 18having wheels 19 arranged to run on said track, and the intermediatedoor section 14 is slidably mounted on the two door sections 13 and 15.

An upright combined stop and-cam-acting joint strip 2() is secured tothecar bod 11 at one side of its door openin 12 which limits the closingmovements o the door sections and also forces the same against thecarbody 11 to form tight joints therebetween. Secured to the car body-11 at the rear ends of the tracks 16 and 17 is an upright bar 21 havingan outturned stop flange 22 which 'limits the opening movements of thedoor sections.

Each door section comprises inner and outer plates 23 and 24,respectively, the former of which has continuous inturned reinforcingianges 25 at its marginal edges except at its rear end. To form a tightjoint between the d oor sections, when closed, and the rear door post atthe opening 12, there is pressedA from each of said sections an up.-right bead 26 of the same depth as the flanges 25 and extends the fulldistance between the upper and lower members of said flanges 25.Outwardly pressed from each outer plate 24 are upper and lowerhorizontal reinforcing beads'27 and 28, respectively, and -betweensaidbeads said plate is outwardly pressed substantially its entirelength into concave-convex form in vertical section. e

To assist in supporting the rear ends ofthe door sections when lopenthere-is out and pressed Vfrom the inner plate 23 of each of saidsections an inwardly extended cam llange 29 arranged to ride, during theopening movement of said door, upon a cam flange 30 cut and pressedfrom' the bar 21'. By reference to Fig. 7, it will be noted that thecani ange 30 is upwardly inclined `so as to draw the respective camflange 29 inward and hold the respective' door section against outwardlmovement from the car body 11.

For independently opening and closing the door sections,l providetoothed wheels 31 adapted to meshiwith racks on Said sections whichconsist of horizontally spaced seats 32 in the lower bead 28 of eachdoor section. These seats -32 arey formed by cuttingthe dat outer facesofthe beads 28 on oblique bisecting lines and then displacing the stockby pressing the same inward, as

Vliest shown in Figs. 3 and 6. `The toothed ably mounted on the lowerends of theshaft tween.

33 with the ratchet wheel 35 located therebef A reversible awl 37 islocated between the prongs of t e head ofthe operating lever 36 forengagement with the ratchet wheel .35, as best shown in Fig.. 10. Thepawl 37 issecured to a stem 38 turnably mounted in the liever 36, andtheouter end thereof is bent laterally to afford a crank by which said stemmay he turned. A

coiled sprin 39, encircling the stem 38,1i's

compressed tween the pawl 37and theI inner end of the head of. theoperating lever 36. The pawl 37 is so designed that in moving theoperatingv lever 36 in 'one direction,

36 to prevent a. step of movement will be imparted to the ratchet wheel35 and a reverse movementof said operating lever will 'cause said lpawl'to slid over the teeth of the ratch wheel 35. The operatin lever 36 isso located as to swing under t esills of the car b ody 11 and isprovided with a' depending hand piece 40.V This operating lever 36 isfurther provided* with a U-shaped member 41 `adapted to be. brought intoa position under an` apertured lock lug 42secured. t-o the car body 11,and which members 41 and 42 are adapted to receive a seal for securingthe operating lever the door sections from being operated.

To press the rear end portions of -the door sections toward the car body11, at the 'completion oftheir closing movements, there is rotated bythe operating lever 36. As the upper toothed wheel 31 is in mesh withthe rack on the upper door sections 13,and the intermediate and lowertoothed wheels 31 the initial opening movement of the doorsec tion tobring itsrack into mesh with the intermediate toothed wheel' 31 beforethe upper toothed wheel 31 moves out of mesh with the respective rack. Acontinued movement ofthe shaft 33 will open the intermediate.-

door section 14- and `just before 'its 'final vopening movement, itsfront lower abutment 48 will engage the rear abutment on the lower doorsection 15 and impart the initial opening movement thereto to bring thelower toothed wheel 31 inmesh with'the respective rack before theintermediate toothed wheel 31 moves out of mesh with its'respectiverack. Further continued movement of the shaft 33 will open thedoorsection 15. When the door sections'are all open, the upperandintermediate toothed wheels 31 are out of mesh with their racks, and thelower toothed wheel 31 is in mesh with its rack. By reversingthedirection .ofrotation of the shaft 36, the .door sections are closedinreverse ,order from that of their. opening movement. e

[To form grain-tight and weather-proof joints between the door sections,their .outer plates 24v are provided ato their adjacent edges with.overlapping outwardly curved concentric flanges 49, and b reference toFig. 3' it will be noted that t e outer flange pressed from the outerplate 24 of each of -49 1s formed withtheupper door section so saidsections a. cam' 43 arranged toen age the shaft 33, as best shown inFiglf4. ith the cams 43 inengagement with t e shaft 33, the doorsections are so held that their beads 26 form tight joints between saiddoor sections and the respectivedoor post f or the door opening 12. j

To lock the door sections together when closed, there ismounted on theintermediate section 14 a rotatable disc 44 to which is attached atdiametrically opposite points a pair of oppositely extended lock bars45, the outer ends'of which are slidably mounted in keeper brackets 46on said door section, and adapted to be projected into keeper brackets47 on the door sections 13 and 15. When" the door sections are closed,the upper gear 31 is in mesh with the upper rack, and the as. to form awater-tight joint. These flslges 49 alsoassist in supporting the intermlate door section and keep the same in its pro r relation with the otherdoor sections wit freedom for sliding movement in respect thereto. I

What I claim is:

1. A car door comprising'a flat vplate and a concavo-convex plate, themarginal edge portions of whichare rigidly secured to the fiat plate,and a. plurality of horizontally spacedl seats formed in theconcave-convex plate to afford a rack for a toothed wheel'.

2. A car door comprising a fiat plate andv a concavo-convex plate, themarginal edge portions of which are rigidly secured to the flat plate,said concavo-convex plat@ having pressedv therefrom'` a horizontalreinforcing rib having a plurality of horizontally spaced seatsaffording a rack for a toothed wheel.

3. A car doorA comprising a iat plate and a concavp-convex plate, themarginal edge portions of which are rigidly secured' to the flat plate,said concavo-convex plate having pressed therefrom in the vicinity ofits horizontal edges a pair o`f horizontal reinforcing ribs, one ofwhich has a plurality of horizontallyspaced seats affording a rack for atoothed Wheel.

4. A car door comprising upper and lower slidable sections having attheir adjacent horizontal edges laterally projecting flanges slidablymounted, the one upon the other, and also vhaving at said edges jointand weather strips that having sliding interlocking engagement. and holdsaid sections againstvertical separation.

5. A car door comprising upper and lower slidable sections, each ofwhich comprises inner and outer plates, the former of which have attheir adjacent horizontal edges sliding engagement the one upon theother and the latter of which have at their adjacent horizontal edgesjoint and weather strips.

6. A car door comprising upper and lower slidable sections, each ofwhich comprises inner and outer plates, the former ofvwhich havelaterally projecting flanges slidably mounted, the one upon the other,and the latter 'of which have at their adjacent horizontal edges jointandweather strips that have sliding interlocking engagement and holdsaid sections against vertical separation.

7. The combination with a car body havhing a door opening and top andbottom tracks, of a door for said opening comprising upper, lowergandintermediate sections slidably mounted the one upon the other, saidlower section being mounted on the bottom track, said upper sectionbeing suspended from the top track, `and said intermediate sectionhaving sliding interlocking engagement with said upper and lowersections, whereby the same is slidably suspended from said upper sectionand slidably supported on said lower sections.

8. The structure defined in claim 7 in further combination with lockingmeans for securing one of said sectionsto the car body in a closedposition, and a lock for securing all of said sections together whenadjusted to forma complete door.

9. The combination` with a car body having a door opening, of a door forsaid opening comprising upper and lower slidable sections, each of saidsections having a horizontal rack, an` upright shaft outward of saidsections `andjournaled to the car body and having up er and lowertoothed wheels meshing with t e racks, said racks being arranged so thatthe upper toothedwheel is in mesh with the respective rack and the lowertoothed wheel is out of mesh with the respective rack when the doorsections are closed.

10. The structure .defined in claim 9 in which said racks are furtherarranged so that the upper toothed wheel is out of mesh with therespective rack and the lower toothed wheel is in mesh with therespective rack when the door. sections are open.

. 11. The structure defined in claim 9 in further combination withhorizontally spaced abutments on. said sections, one of the-abutments onsaid upper section being arranged to engage one of the abutments on saidlower section and impart 'thereto the initial opening movement duringits final opening movement to thereby cause the lower toothed wheel tomesh with the respective rack, another abutment on the lower sectionbeing arranged to engage another abutment on the upper section andimpart thereto the initial closing movement during its final closingmovement to thereby cause the upper toofhed wheel to mesh with therespective rac 12. The combination with a car body having a dooropening, of a horizontal slidable door for said opening and having ahorizontal rack, an upright shaft outward of the door and journaled onsaid body, and a toothed wheel on the shaft meshing with the rack, saiddoor having a cam arranged to engage said shaft during itsnal closingmovement to press the door against the car body.

13. The structure defined in claim 9 in further combinationv with avertical cam flange on the c ar body with which the front vertical edgesof the door sections engage during their linal closing movement to presssaid sections against the car body.

14. The structure dened in claim 9 in further combination withco-operating cam flanges on the car body and door sections for-supporting the rear ends of said section when open. v l

15. The structure defined in claim 9 in further combination with stopmembers on the car body for limiting the opening move.- ment of the doorsections, said sections and connection between 'said shaft and lever,

said pawl being reversible to change the direction of rotation of saidshaft.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

- AXEL H. BURKEMAN.

stop members having co-operating camr

